The L.A. Times reports:
In a twist on a theme that has flared up on the national political stage, labor unions representing Los Angeles city workers are accusing Democratic Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of waging war against women, saying most of his proposed layoffs would hit jobs traditionally held by female workers.
In his proposed budget now under review by the City Council, Villaraigosa calls for eliminating 231 filled positions. Individual employees who would lose jobs have not been identified, but roughly 90% of the positions targeted are clerk, secretarial and other jobs mostly held by women.
If approved, the job cuts would follow a pattern set two years ago, when women made up less than a third of the city's total workforce but constituted 54% of the layoffs called for by Villaraigosa, according to records. Dozens of child-care workers and library employees were among those let go.
Union members have raised the issue at news conferences and council budget hearings, where one city worker this month drew cheers from the audience when she told lawmakers: "This is an attack on women!"
Great moments of the Democrat party. There's more:
Nationwide, women make up the majority of state and local government employees, especially educators. But as state and local governments have tightened their budgets in the face of declining tax revenue and rising employee costs, women have also made up the majority of government layoffs.
The vested interest of big government.
